Our man Stuart Rayner is at the game and will be providing updates throughout the game.

Day Four: Result

DURHAM and Middlesex shook hands on a County Championship draw at 6.28pm.

The visitors had made 165-6 by then.

Ashes-bound Aussie opener Chris Rogers brought up his half-century in slightly streaky fashion, edging the ball in front of the slips and watching it go over the rope for four.

It was the sixth boundary of his 78-ball innings.

Two balls later he was lbw to Mark Wood.

The Ashington all-rounder was seriously quick and moving the ball too, as Dawid Malan found out when he left one only for it to knock out his middle stump.

Graham Onions produced a perfect ball down the corridor of uncertainty for Neil Dexter to nibble behind. With Middlesex four wickets down, it stretched proceedings out a bit longer.

Wood got a deserved third wicket, Keaton Jennings taking a good low catch at square leg, to remove John Simpson.

There were still 26 lefts at that stage to claim four more wickets.

Joe Denly frustrated Durham with 73 not out from just over three hours.

For a full report of the final day's play, see tomorrow's Sunday Sun, with more reaction in Monday's Journal and Chronicle.

This week's Sunday Sun also has the usual round-up of the weekend's local cricket, and Stephen Harmison's column, in which he talks about the batsman on a mission against Durham, and why you should never have your arguments on Twitter.

Day Four: Tea

DURHAM'S County Championship match with Middlesex was petering out into a draw as the teams came off for tea.

The visitors were 41-1 showing no inclination to chase the 304 needed for victory.

And there were few suggestions that Durham will be able to take nine more wickets in the last 36 overs of the game.

They made a good start, the third ball of the innings coming up off the shoulder of Sam Robson's bat, but escaping the dive of Will Smith at gully.

And Callum Thorp removed him from the last ball of the next over, Robson fishing outside off stump to be caught behind for seven.

But the next 27 balls were all dots as Middlesex shut up shop.

And Durham were unable to strike again in the 15 overs before tea.

Earlier Scott Borthwick had made 82 not out as Durham declared on 240-6.

Paul Collingwood made 18 before trying to lift the ball over the slips and being caught by Robson as he ran in off the third man boundary.

Phil Mustard was caught at mid-off trying to lift the ball over the ring off Gareth Berg.

Gareth Breese gave the innings some overdue impetus, lifting the ball off his legs for a six in his run-a-ball 20 not out.

At 2.35pm, Collingwood called the batsmen in.

See tomorrow's Sunday Sun for a full report of the final day, plus Stephen Harmison on why Nick Compton will have to play very well against Durham next month, and how best to argue with journalists.

Day Four: Lunch

DURHAM extended their lead over Middlesex to 240 this morning, without batting like a team looking to set up a declaration.

If the Riversiders were to declare now, they would have 67 overs to take the 10 wickets they need to return to the top of the County Championship table.

Scott Borthwick made his third score of 50-plus in this season's First Division, 55 not out at lunch, but was in little rush to do so.

Durham found the boundary just once in the first 51 minutes, when many fans would have been hoping for something a bit more rapid to give themselves a chance of winning.

Keaton Jennings scored it, the ball flashing off the edge - although it was reasonably controlled - when he was on 31.

Ten balls later Middlesex again found that part of the bat and Joe Denly took a terrific catch at gully.

Will Smith took nine balls before nudging into the legside to get off the mark and although he and Borthwick ran hard between the wickets, they left plenty of balls outside off stump which they probably would have gone after in one-day cricket.

Even with an initial upping of the pace to greet the arrival of the change bowlers, they made just 41 runs in the first hour of play.

Borthwick was punishing Gareth Berg and Toby Roland-Jones for dropping short, pulling both to the boundary in quick succession.

But there were his only ones today en route to a half-century which took him 102 deliveries to reach.

A big top-edged pull by Smith looked like it could even work to Durham's advantage. Dawid Malan backpedalled at first slip to catch the skier.

But the more attacking Ben Stokes was unable to take advantage.

He tucked the ball into the legside for the two which took Durham past 150, only to be so obviously lbw five balls later that he walked before the decision was given, with just four runs to his name.

At lunch Durham were 177-4, with Paul Collingwood 14 not out.

You read a full report of the final day in tomorrow's Sunday Sun, which will also have a report from Headingley, Stephen Harmison's exclusive column and a round-up of all today's local cricket.

Day Three: Close

JUST 18 overs were possible on day three, during which Durham extended their lead to 152.

The Riversiders were 89-1 when the players were brought off for the last time at 6.06pm, for bad light.

Mark Stoneman showed good intent from the first ball when play resumed after another shower, tipping and running a quick single.

The left-hander went on to pass 50 for the fourth consecutive County Championship match. It took him 56 balls.

Stoneman reached the landmark by driving through midwicket for his seventh four. But from the very next ball he was trapped lbw.

Stoneman can consider himself unfortunate as the bowler, James Harris, had abandoned his appeal when umpire George Sharp raised his finger, presumably because of an inside edge.

Keaton Jennings survived a beauty from Harris which beat his inside edge on 16 not out, and was 26 not out at the close.

No.3 Scott Borthwick looked in excellent form, a checked drive and a lovely shot wide of mid-off bringing his boundaries in a score of 11 not out.

You can read a full analysis of day in Saturday's Journal. The Chronicle will have reaction from South African Jennings.

Day Three: Update

JUST five overs were possible before bad light intervened at Chester-le-Street. Shortly after the players came off, rain started to fall.

Durham scored 15 runs in that time, Mark Stoneman steering a four behind square. He was 39 not out when umpires Martin Bodenham and George Sharp decided to accept defeat to the elements.

Keaton Jennings more than doubled his score to 13 not out.

Durham now lead by 115. Tomorrow is the final day's play, and they may face a difficult decision about when to declare.

The Riversiders declared on day three to give themselves four session to bowl out Yorkshire in their last County Championship game on this ground. They came out on the wrong side of the result after an excellent 182 from Joe Root guided the Tykes to a four-wicket win.

Durham have taken five bonus points from the contest, and Middlesex three. Three are on offer for a draw, and 16 for a win.

Only victory will see the Riversiders go top of the table. They are currently fourth, with Sussex becoming the fourth team in a fortnight to top the table after hammering Somerset yesterday.

Day Three: Update

After a very brief and light shower, play finally got underway at 4.15pm.

Day Three: Tea

After some heavy rain this morning, the umpires are hopeful of finally starting day three at 4pm, provided there is no more rain, with 40 overs to be bowled in the final session.

Durham will resume on 37-0.

Day Two: Close

DURHAM ended day two with their lead over Middlesex exactly 100.

In a low-scoring game it should be a useful advantage.

They survived 11 overs in gloomy light to post 37-0 this evening.

Mark Stoneman led the way, allowing opening partner Keaton Jennings to take a back seat. His drive through extra cover was a fine shot, and his expansive pull off James Harris - repeated to welcome the arrival of Toby Roland-Jones - the shot of a man high on confidence.

Stoneman was 31 not out from 34 deliveries at the close, an innings featuring five fours.

Jennings, who eased the ball into the offside to take the lead to 100, finished the day unbeaten on six.

Batting had looked a little easier for Middlesex's tail after tea, as they took they added 80 runs for the last four wickets.

Neil Dexter was far more positive after the interval, but was lucky to make it past 29. He edged Ben Stokes through the vacant third slip.

Instead Gareth Berg was the first to go, driving at the ball. At first he seemed like he had got lucky too, Paul Collingwood dropping the ball at first slip.

But as Durham's captain lay on his back he recovered brilliantly to catch the ball in his outstretched right hand.

Perhaps sensing he might be about to run out of partners, Dexter began to accelerate, hitting three offside fours in two overs, then adding another through leg to bring up his half-century off 98 deliveries. He hit nine fours in all.

It took an excellent ball to remove him, Stokes swinging the ball in sharply and Phil Mustard taking a good catch off the inside edge. Dexter made 52.

The wicketkeeper did, however, drop Roland-Jones on six.

Harris was playing positively, signalling his intent by pulling Scott Borthwick into the building site on the Lumley Castle side of the ground.

The next ball was another full-toss from the leg-spinner, but Harris steered it straight to Gareth Breese at midwicket.

Harris and Roland-Jones had added 45 important runs for the ninth wicket, with the pitch starting to look easier as the pitch dried out.

The last pair last six more balls before Roland-Jones lobbed a catch to Graham Onions at mid-on off the bowling of Mark Wood.

Middlesex had been bowled out for 196, 63 runs behind Durham.

See Friday's Journal for a full report of the opening day, with reaction - hopefully from Onions - in The Chronicle.

Day Two: End of innings

MIDDLESEX have been bowled out for 196, 63 runs behind Durham.

Mark Wood ended the innings when he had Toby Roland-Jones caught at mid-on. Remarkably, it was the Ashington all-rounder's first County Championship wicket at Chester-le-Street, having made his four previous appearances elsewhere.

As is so often the case, Graham Onions was the pick of the bowlers, taking 5-39.

Day Two: Tea

JOHN Simpson and Neil Dexter frustrated Durham with a 68-run partnership just as it looked like Middlesex could be bowled out for a double-figure score.

The pair came together with the visitors on 35-5, and took them to 103 before wicketkeeper Simpson gave his wicket away.

It was a vital breakthrough for Durham, as Simpson had taken the attack to them with 42 from 51 balls.

His knock featured eight fours and he was particularly punishing of anything outside off stump, producing a number of excellent cut shots off Ben Stokes and Callum Thorp.

But in the end he played one attacking shot too many, toe-ending a drive to Thorp at mid-off off the bowling of Graham Onions.

The session had started frustratingly, with the players on for 23 minutes, off for 17, then back off five minutes later for another 25. Some of the breaks were for rain, others for hailstorms.

The hokey-cokey nature of the game was particularly difficult for the batsmen, while the pace bowlers were able to take regular rests.

Stokes was Durham's first-change bowler, coming on straight after the interval. He made a quick impact, swinging the ball into Tom Smith's pads to remove the nightwatchman for 19.

But once Simpson went after him, Paul Collingwood was forced to bring him off with figures of 6-1-29-1.

Dexter was far more cautious, but saw out the session, ending it with a pulled four to finish it on 26 not out from 75 balls.

Middlesex were 111-6 at tea, with Gareth Berg two not out. In theory there are 37 overs still to be bowled today but that will depend on the weather.

Friday's Journal will have a full report of the second day's play. See The Chronicle for more end-of-play reaction from the Durham camp.

Day Two: Raining again!

IT is raining yet again here, so the players are off the field once more.

Ben Stokes has only bowled two overs so far in the afternoon session but he was able to remove nightwatchman Tom Smith, lbw for 19, with his penultimate ball.

Day Two: Lunch

DURHAM took the wickets of two of their old tormentors in a rain-shortened opening session of day two against Middlesex.

Joe Denly and Dawid Malan have both been responsible for knocking the Riversiders out of one-day competitions with explosive batting in the past.

But in more trying circumstances, over the longer form of the game, they were unable to hold the hosts up today.

Only 15 overs were possible in a morning session delayed then interrupted by rain. Nine overs in total have been lost to the weather so far.

But Durham were at least able to take advantage of the precious time they got in conditions not as seamer-friendly as those they bowled in last night, but still helpful.

Graham Onions was able to get the ball seaming around, finding the edge of Denly's bat for Scott Borthwick to take the catch at second slip. Denly made nine.

The former Kent man had been lucky to last that long, after being put down by Callum Thorp off his own bowling.

Denly got a leading edge as he tried to turn the ball into the legside. It was a difficult chance to Thorp's left, and although he got his hands to it, he was unable to hold on.

Denly had five at the time.

Just to worry the visiting batsmen even more, the next delivery spat up at Denly's glove from a length.

Martin Bodenham took an absolute age to make his mind up when Onions seamed the ball into Malan's pads with the 25-year-old still to score.

Perhaps the former football referee was mulling whether the ball was going to clear the stumps but whatever his thought process, he decided in Durham's failure. Malan made a 13-ball duck.

Nightwatchman Tom Smith survived where the frontline batsmen failed to, the spinner making it to 17 not out at lunch.

Former captain Neil Dexter is still to get off the mark, with Middlesex 31-4.

You can read a full report of the second day's play in tomorrow's Journal, with end-of-play reaction in the Chronicle.

Day Two: Update

Just 32 minutes were possible before the rain returned to Chester-le-Street.

Durham, though, were able to make good use of their brief window of opportunity, Graham Onions removing the dangerously Joe Denly.

Onions shaped the ball away from the right-hander, who was caught at second slip by Scott Borthwick.

With Dawid Malan replacing him at the crease, Middlesex are 28-3.

Day Two: Weather

The players are just coming out now after a morning shower delayed the start of play.

Middlesex are resuming on 11-2, with Joe Denly and nightwatchman Tom Smith at the crease.

Four overs play have been lost in the day.

Day One: Close

Graham Onions and Callum Thorp took wickets in their first overs to give Durham the initiative on day one at Chester-le-Street.

Phil Mustard's swashbuckling 62 had earlier seen his side to a second batting point.

And with Middlesex closing the day on 11-2 in reply to Durham's 259, the hosts are in a good position against the team who took their place as County Championship leaders last week.

Middlesex's openers have started the season in good form, but neither made it to the third over.

Onions swung the ball into Sam Robson to bowl the opener without scoring.

Like him, Thorp struck with the final ball of his opening over.

Chris Rogers, named in Australia's Ashes squad, was very reluctant to leave the crease when Durham appealed for what looked like a caught behind. But George Sharp sent him on his way, tapping his leg to indicate that the captain was lbw. It left Middlesex on 3-2.

Onions was in fine form and nightwatchman Tom Smith had to be alert to keep out an inswinging yorker on two.

At the close he was two not out, with Joe Denly surviving a sharp run-out chance to Mark Wood to finish the day on four.

Earlier, Durham's last five wickets had added 76 runs after tea.

A Will Smith sweep brought up his 50 partnership with Mustard. He came down the pitch from the next ball, hitting it through the legside for another boundary which took Durham to a first batting point.

But three balls later Smith was out driving at Gareth Berg, easily caught by Dawid Malan for 37.

Gareth Breese was out sloppily, caught behind driving at a wide ball.

When Thorp and Mark Wood followed in consecutive deliveries, Durham were still five short of a second batting point.

Thorp had lost his leg stump to a Corey Collymore inswinger, while Wood was perhaps unfortunate to be be given lbw to a ball which looked as though it might be going over his stumps.

But Onions kept out the hat-trick ball, then left the scoring to Mustard, still two short of a half-century.

He reached that by hammering the ball through long-on for his sixth four. It was the 97 ball he had faced.

He carved the next ball through the covers for another boundary, taking Durham past 250.

He stepped back and cut Collymore for four through mid-off before being well caught by Toby Roland-Jones, running in off the long-on boundary.

There will be full analysis of day one in Thursday's Journal, with end-of-play reaction from Mustard in The Chronicle.

Day One: Tea

The regular loss of wickets stunted Durham's progress in the second session of their County Championship game at home to Middlesex.

Keaton Jennings and Scott Borthwick laid a promising platform in the morning session but neither they not any of their team-mates were able to build on it, even with their guests so poor in the field.

Borthwick lost his wicket because he lost concentration.

In the 34 over he pulled the ball in front of square to bring up his 50, off 86 balls with nine fours. It also brought up the 100 partnership with Jennings.

But he failed to switch on again and drove outside off stump from the next delivery to be caught behind.

Jennings had never got going after lunch. Although he had not seen much of the strike, he scored only two runs in the 7.2 overs after it.

Corey Collymore swung a ball dramatically into his pads on 38 and Jennings was given lbw.

Ben Stokes started promisingly, playing a lovely back foot drive for four off Gareth Berg.

But on ten he inside-edged the ball onto his right knee, and was hobbling around for the rest of his innings.

He was on 11 when Dawid Malan dropped him moving left off James Harris.

It was a short-lived reprieve, though, Stokes adding eight more before he inside-edged a swinging ball from Berg to be brilliantly caught by a diving John Simpson.

It made the wicketkeeper's drop in the next over even harder for Middlesex to take. Like Malan's, and Sam Robson's in the morning session, it was an easy opportunity.

The edge came off Paul Collingwood's first ball, sent down by Toby Roland-Jones.

The captain failed to make the most of his good fortune. Collingwood had taken a single off Simpson's drop and claimed the strike for the next over as a result.

But he pulled his second ball straight to Chris Rodgers at midwicket.

Having been 108-1, Durham had collapsed to 149-5.

On 158-5 the Riversiders were fortunate not to lose another wicket when Phil Mustard hit the ball straight to Rogers at short mid-off and ran. The Ashes-bound Australian missed the stumps at the striker's end, where Will Smith was running to on 17.

Mustard (16 not out) and Smith (22 not out) – batting at four in this game – steadied the ship, leading Durham to 183-5 at tea.

Buy TheJournal on Thursday for a full analysis of the opening day, with further end-of-play reaction in The Chronicle.

Day One: Lunch

Durham made a solid start after being put in by Middlesex this morning.

They survived the early loss of the in-form Mark Stoneman to post 100-1 at lunch.

Stoneman had played important innings in each of his last three County Championship matches. The left-hander started well, clipping the ball off his legs for four from Corey Collymore's first over.

But the former West Indies bowler got his revenge from his next over, getting Stoneman to nibble behind on five.

Keaton Jennings and Scott Borthwick both rode their luck a little, surviving edges in their 30s. But generally they showed the right balance between caution and positivity on a cold, overcast morning after Middlesex won the toss.

Jennings has been in prolific form for the second-team since losing his place in the firsts. And he did not get bogged down in the way he did in his early-season spell.

A nice four through long-off showed Jennings was not going to fall into that trap.

He even pulled a short ball for six in the tenth over.

Preferred to Will Smith at three in an attempt to spread the experience around Durham's batting line-up, Borthwick took time to get his eye in.

But a nice touch through midwicket for four showed he was timing the ball well, and in the next over – the 17 – he pushed the ball through mid-off to the boundary to bring up Durham's 50. He looked particularly good twice pulling the ball square of the wicket for four.

It was clear Jennings' luck was in when he edged Toby Roland-Jones' fourth ball after switching to the Lumley End.

Not only did second slip Sam Robson drop the relatively straight-forward chance to his right, he knocked the ball onto the unused fielding helmet to gift Durham five runs.

Borthwick was on 34 when his edge flashed over the gap between third slip and gully off the bowling of James Harris.

He was also fortunate not to make contact on a big attempted drive at the same bowler with two more runs to his name.

Harris got the ball to swing and also got a delivery to steeple alarmingly, a worrying sign on a first-day pitch.

As the session reached its conclusion the youngsters' concentration began to waver a fraction and a few loose shots crept in amongst the good ones. So lunch probably came at a good time to regather their composure.

They went in with three figures on the board after Borthwick nudged Neil Dexter's first delivery – after coming on for the 31 over – into the legside for a single.36

Jennings was 36 not out by then, with Borthwick unbeaten on 46.

See Thursday's Journal for a full analysis of the opening day, with further end-of-play reaction in The Chronicle.

Day One: Toss

Durham v Middlesex, Day One Toss

Middlesex won the toss and decided to bowl in today's top-of-the-table County Championship clash at Chester-le-Street.

There are a few dark clouds lurking behind the pavilion and light drizzle in the air, so Chris Rogers is obviously hoping his excellent seam attack can make full use of the conditions.

They are without international bowlers Steve Finn (England) and Tim Murtagh, but in Toby Roland-Jones, James Harris and Corey Collymore, they still have plenty of quality bowlers at their disposal.

Durham were without Dale Benkenstein, who is undergoing surgery on his left shoulder today, and have rested Chris Rushworth.

Keaton Jennings, in fine form for the second team since losing his first-team place early in the season, comes into the line-up. He will open, with Will Smith expected to drop to four to accommodate him and spread the experience around the order.

Ben Stokes is expected to bowl and Gareth Breese and Graham Onions return from injury and England Lions duty respectively.

Middlesex replaced Durham at the top of the County Championship First Division last week. Both sides have won three of their five matches in the competition this season.

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